Thanksgiving might not be a traditional British holiday but to a large number of expats, travelers and Americans residing in the UK, the day is still characterised by celebrations, gatherings and long distances. With the growing number of people playing into the holiday spirit in the country, there are observable peaks in travel activities/ Thanksgiving Day Traffic within the routes in and around London, Manchester and Birmingham. When you are going to a dinner party, you are flying out to have a holiday or you are coming home after a hectic working week, knowing when to get to the road can be a game changer.
Through some planning and clever timing, you will be able to escape the worst of the Thanksgiving Day Traffic and have a peaceful Thanksgiving trip. This is a preview of the most favourable and unfavourable moments to travel, as well as some of the fundamental road and air travel guidelines by the year 2025.
When is Thanksgiving 2025?
It is on 27 November 2025, at which time thanksgiving will be on Thursday. It is not only a day of family reunions, thanksgiving, and delicious feasts but a traditionally held on the fourth Thursday of November. Though not an official public holiday in the UK, many people still make the weekend a time to celebrate, travel and reunite with their loved ones. This increases road and air traffic- especially of the UK based Americans who go back home to celebrate.
Most Traffic Days in the Thanksgiving Week 2025
When you are travelling in the UK and during the time of the Thanksgiving week, then you should plan well so that you are not caught up with the peak load. Following the travel data and trends of the US and UK holidays seasons in recent years, the following are the anticipated busiest travel days:
Wednesday, 26 November: A day before Thanksgiving is likely to be one of the busiest in road and rail traffic. Early leavers and families that are going out to celebrate parties make up the long queues along the major roads; M25, M1 and such like.
Sunday, 30 November: This is generally the busiest day of the week as far as air travel is concerned because most of them are coming back after making short trips. The airports of Heathrow, Gatwick, and Manchester will be rather busy, with the afternoon and evening flights being the busiest.
Less Crowded Travel Days
In case you want to have a less exciting travelling experience, schedule your trip during the following days:
Thanksgiving Day itself (Thursday, 27 November): It may sound odd to say the least, though this can be a less busy time to be on the road or air especially in the morning before parties start.
Friday, 28 November (Black Friday): The number of people with an interest in shopping activities can lead to reduced traffic during early hours in roads and airports.
Top Weekends to Travel Before Thanksgiving
Unless you are planning to travel early these are generally more relaxed days:
Saturday, 22 November: Lightest pre-holiday day to the roads.
Monday, 24 November: Slower flow and a reduced number of delays.
Tuesday, 25 November: Greater than the Wednesday morning rush hour travel.
Thanksgiving Aftermath: Best Days to Travel
Coming home with thanksgiving is a hectic thing but travelling smart can save your time and money:
Tuesday, 2 December: one of the most peaceful road and air travel days.
Wednesday, 3 December: Unproblematic traffic conditions and cheap rates on the majority of routes.
Friday, 28 November (Black Friday): Smaller numbers of crowds who have a longer stay.
UK Road Travel projections
Although Thanksgiving is not a British holiday, around the end of November, you will find that there are Christmas shopping and winter trip rushes. The RAC forecasted in 2024 that millions of leisure trips would take place at this time, the busiest routes were expected to be the M25 in London, the M60 in Manchester and the M4 heading to Bristol.
Best times to drive:
As long as the celebrations take place, thanksgiving evening.
Friday morning less than 10 AM or night after 8 PM.
Worst times to drive:
Wednesday afternoon, 3-7 PM
Friday (Black Friday) noon to 4 PM and around retail parks and major shopping locations in particular.
Thanksgiving Air Travel tips.
In case you are flying to the UK to have the holiday, flexibility is your new friend.
Book ahead, fly smarter, Get an early booking on Thanksgiving day and get flights in the early morning when there are less people at the terminal.
Avoid Sunday returns: The busiest day with the highest cost of returning flights is on a Sunday after a Thanksgiving. In case possible, fly back on Tuesday or Wednesday to have lighter experiences and low fares.
Smaller airports: Try a regional airport like London City, Birmingham, or Bristol where it is a little bit shorter in queue and stress.
Thanksgiving Travel Road Tips.
Driving is a flexible option, and it needs preparation, particularly during the end of November because a change in the weather may be unforeseen.
Prepare in advance: Google Maps or Waze are some of the applications that allow tracking the real-time traffic.
Off peak travelling: Early mornings or late evenings are the best.
Check your vehicle: Fill your tyres, fuel, and fluids and set off. Be equipped with warm up outfit, phone charger and emergency kit.
Patience: People should be tolerant because there is no way to avoid heavy traffic in the areas surrounding big cities, it is better to relax on the road and have fun.
Thanksgiving Week: Staying Safe.
The week of Thanksgiving is also the time of one of the most social weeks of the year. When going out on festive dinners or even parties, ensure that you plan on your transport. Couple up with taxis, ride shares and chauffeurs. Professional drivers will ensure that you deliver your destination in a safe and comfortable way- particularly when you are traveling in a group or on a longer distance between cities.
Last Minute Ideas: Preparing Your Thanksgiving Travel.
Traveling over the UK during the Thanksgiving period may be stress-free and fun with careful planning, patience, and time. It does not matter whether you are flying to see your family or just doing a tour through those magnificent road networks, knowing the best and worst times to navigate will enable you maximize on your holiday.
It is finally Thanksgiving, a time to connect with gratitude, get away early, travel wisely, and enjoy the ride as much as the destination, while staying ahead of the Thanksgiving Day Traffic.
